Fontana Della Galera

Fontana Della Galera
(Fountain of the galleon)


If I were a child and it was June 1961 I would have
enjoyed to have been captain of the galleon fountain,
near the Bramante’s stairs in the Vatican’s garden;
in my swimming trunk I would lead sailors into battle,
and strike an Errol Flynn pose.

Have the pope come to the window, dressed in white,
look down and wave, I would feel sorry for him ask
a guard if the pope can come down and be my mate,
he looked so lonely up there in the window. The guard
will tell a priest, there are many of them around,
the prelate will find this funny and tell the pope who
will come to the window, bless me and regret that he
never married and became a café owner in Berlin.

But I would not know or care to know that the fountain
was made in the 17th century, by Maderna, of whom
I know little, but I think he also was the chap who made
the Bramante’s stairs. If I go there now they will not
let me in as they would have done, the summer of 1961.